List of free plugins

[Otto Halmén]

Algorithmic reverbs:

• Abstract Chamber (Win VST)
  
• Ambience (Win VST, Mac AU)
  
• Freeverb3 Hibiki Reverb (Win VST; Mac VST)
  
• KR-Reverb FS (Win VST; Mac AU)
  
• OldSkoolVerb (Win VST; Mac VST, AU)
  
• Sanford Reverb (Win VST)
  
• Tila2 (Win VST)
  

Compressors:

• DC1A (Win VST; Mac VST, AU)
  
• MJUCjr (Win VST; Mac VST, AU)
  
• Pressure4 (Win VST; Mac VST, AU)
  
• Rough Rider (Win VST; Mac VST, AU)
  
• TDR Kotelnikov (Win VST; Mac VST, AU)
  

Convolution:

• Freeverb3 Impulser2 (Win VST; Mac VST)
  
• Reverberate LE (Win VST)
  

Equalizers:

• Luftikus (Win VST; Mac VST, AU)
  
• Marvel GEQ (Win VST; Mac VST, AU)
  
• Overtone GEQ (Win VST; Mac VST, AU)
  
• TDR VOS SlickEQ (Win VST; Mac VST, AU)
  

Impulse responses:

• Airwindows Impulses (aiff)
  
• IM Reverbs Pack (wav)
  
• Samplicity's Bricasti M7 Impulse Responses (wav)
  

Limiters:

• ClipOnly (Win VST; Mac VST, AU)
  

Miscellaneous:

• Proximity (Win VST; Mac VST, AU)
  

Modulation:

• Acon Digital Multiply (Win VST; Mac VST, AU)
  

Multiband compressors:

• TDR Nova (Win VST; Mac VST, AU)
  

Non-linear summing:

• Console4 (Win VST; Mac VST, AU)
  

Samplers:

• sforzando (Win standalone, VST; Mac standalone, VST, AU)
  
• TX16Wx (Win VST; Mac VST, AU)
  

Saturation:

• Channel4 (Win VST; Mac VST, AU)
  
• IGVI (Win VST; Mac VST, AU)
  
• Toned (Win VST, Mac VST, AU)
  
• Tube Amp (Win VST; Mac VST, AU)
  

This is a list of freeware audio plugins, generally ones that can be useful for mixing with orchestra samples. If you've come across freebies that turned out useful, feel free to drop a line so we can expand the list.

[Mattias Westlund]

Samplers: TX16Wx

Reverb: Freeverb3 Hibiki, Tila2 & Abstract Chamber

Compressors: TDR Kotelnikov

EQ: TDR VoS SlickEQ

Misc: TDR Proximity

That's from the top of my head, I'll have a peek in my vstplugs dir tomorrow!

[kneedeep]

Everything by Variety of Sound, specifically the EpicVerb, the compressors, the exciter, and the harmonic distortion stuff as well as the BootEQ.

I second TDR Kotelnikov, amazing clean compressor. Their EQ is too clean for my taste.

VladG stuff, specifically the Nova 67-P, the Molot compressor and especially the Limiter 6 if you trust your orchestral stuff to a really friendly limiter.

[Orte Pigi]

MVerb is a little gem for the free algo reverb. Very lush and natural sound anyway without metallic stuff. Minus is that it is 32 bit only. Works great with REAPER anyway

[kneedeep]

Sonic Anomaly Unlimited - simple to use peak limiter / loudness maximizer (it has two modes). Variable aggressiveness settings.

Cockos ReaControlMIDI - allows you to control MIDI CCs as track envelopes in Reaper, instead of having to use their relatively crappy MIDI editor CC lanes.

Youlean Loudness meter - if you ever want to know how loud your stuff is in LUFS, eg. for streaming purposes.

Credland Audio Pink - pink noise generator plugin for certain mixing techniques (google it).

Smacklabs plugins - free recreations of an SSL channel strip (with EQ, comp and gate), a Neve compressor, 2 Neve EQs and a dbx compressor. The maker is an experienced audio engineer with years of experience using the actual hardware. These effects are very, very, very good.

Stillwell JS effects that come bundled with Reaper - clones of well known outboard gear. Apparently "early versions" of the Stillwell VST plugs. Sound pretty decent.

Ignite Amps PTEq-X and Sonimus SonEQ - Pultec clones.